Unbreakable (3 page)

Jonathon's words echoed through my mind.
“You're quite
a woman, Hope. I've never known anyone like you.”
What did that mean? Could he have feelings for me? All along, I believed there was nothing between us except a silly schoolgirl crush I'd tried hard to ignore. Was I wrong? And what was he going to say after
“I wish . . .”
?

My heart was beating so hard in my chest, I felt slightly faint.

As I rode, I took several deep breaths,
trying to calm myself. I had no business even thinking about Jonathon's Wiese's intentions, and he had no business stating them. I was engaged to Ebbie Miller, and I loved him with all my heart. In two months, we would be married. It still seemed a little unreal. I'd never been that interested in marriage, unlike some other girls in Kingdom. I loved working in the quilt shop and spending time with my best friend, Lizzie Housler. Getting married had always been . . . unimportant. But in the last couple of years, my feelings for Ebbie, who had been a close friend since we were children, had started to grow into something more. Something stronger. We were both slow to admit our feelings, so our fathers, pleased by our potential union, made wedding plans for us. Ebbie and I didn't try to dissuade them. We were both excited and looking forward to our upcoming marriage. That's why these odd feelings for Jonathon confused me.

True to his word, Jonathon drove slowly behind Daisy and me, keeping enough distance so as not to spook my skittish
horse. It took almost an hour and a half for us to reach Kingdom. I was very relieved to enter the safety of my hometown.

We passed the large white church building that sat on the edge of town. A few houses dotted both sides of the street, and then our small business area came into view. I loved the wooden walkways that lined the street. Some of the town's women had planted flowers along the sidewalk. Marigolds, zinnias, and petunias bloomed with vibrant colors, decorating the town with red, yellow, purple, orange, and blue. We rode past Eberly's Hardware and Menninger's Saddle and Tack Store. A large sign had been painted and mounted for our newest enterprise, Metcalf's General Store
.

By the time I rode up in front of Kingdom Quilts, I was hot, tired, and thirsty. Jonathon's presence had certainly made me feel safer. The fear that felt like a tight band around my chest had relaxed, and I'd begun to feel like my old self again.

Jonathon waited until I dismounted and tied up Daisy before getting my packages from his truck. Then he followed me inside the quilt shop, still holding the supplies I'd bought from Flo.

As I entered the store, Papa came from behind the corner. His eyes took in my hair and disheveled condition. “Hope! What has happened to you? Are you all right?” He glared at Jonathon. “Did you have something to do with this?”

“No, Papa,” I said quickly, embarrassed by his outburst. “Jonathon may have just saved my life.”

Jonathon, who had come in behind me, quickly explained what had occurred on the road.

Papa's face went white, and he rushed up to me. “Were you hurt? Are you injured?”

I shook my head. “A few cuts and scrapes. That's it. But our buggy will have to be repaired.”

My father hugged me tightly and then frowned at Jonathon. “I am grateful, Brother Wiese, but how is it you happened to be on the road at the same time as my daughter?”

“Papa!” I said. “What a question. I thank God he
was
there.”

My father let me go. “I do thank God, but I am concerned about the coincidence.”

Jonathon took a step back and stared at Papa through narrowed eyes. “Although I don't believe I need to explain myself to you, Brother Samuel, I was coming back from Washington after picking up lumber for Noah Housler. I just happened to come upon Hope. Perhaps it was God who arranged for me to be there.”

“Perhaps,” Papa said slowly.

I wished I could sink into the floor and disappear. Feeling I had to say something, I turned my back on Papa and addressed Jonathon, hoping my face wasn't bright red with humiliation. “I'm very grateful, Jonathon. If it wasn't for you, I might have been seriously injured today. Thank you so much for your bravery.”

“You're very welcome.” After giving me a warm smile that made my toes tingle, he left. But first he shot my father a penetrating look that should have made him feel ashamed for his unchristian attitude.

“Papa,” I said forcefully after the door closed behind Jonathon, “what were you thinking? That man risked himself for my safety. How could you talk to him like that?”

He stared down at me. The look on his face was one I
knew well, and it meant we weren't going to talk about this any further. Trying to discuss his attitude toward Jonathon would get us nowhere. If it had been anyone else, my father would have gone out of his way to show his appreciation. Papa and I were so close, yet there were times when he seemed like a complete stranger.

“I saw Aaron Metcalf over at the old feed store building,” Papa said, his tone confirming that our discussion about Jonathon Wiese was at an end. “I am certain he will help me fetch the buggy. Tell me exactly where you left it.”

I quickly described the spot, and Papa nodded. “I know the place you mean.” He went over to the coatrack by the door and grabbed his hat. The light filtering in through the window glinted off his reddish-blond hair and beard. Papa was still a handsome man, but since my mother died, he'd never shown any interest in another woman. I noticed that the arthritis in his legs made his steps slow today, and I wondered if self-consciousness about his condition was the reason he had no interest in female companionship.

After he left, I started putting my supplies away and realized I'd forgotten the new blue fabric for Lizzie and Noah's quilt. I'd been so distracted by the young woman who'd come into Flo's shop that I'd left without it. I felt so stupid and ridiculous. My silly reaction had cost me the chance to accomplish something that was very important to me. If I tried to produce the quilt without the right colored fabric, it wouldn't look right. What could I possibly do now? I ran different scenarios through my head as I worked at putting the rest of the supplies away.

I still hadn't come up with an acceptable plan by the time
Papa returned with Aaron in tow. Aaron had arrived in town almost four years ago, asking permission to buy a house and live here. He met with the elders, who'd approved his request to become one of us, but whatever personal information he'd given them had stayed private. He refused to talk about his past, no matter how innocent the questions posed to him. His standard answer was always, “The past is the past, and I have no interest in talking about it.” I was extremely curious about him, but so far I hadn't been able to discover anything even remotely interesting.

“Hello, Brother Metcalf,” I said when he stepped inside. “Thank you for agreeing to help Papa bring our buggy home. We appreciate it.” When Papa looked at me strangely, I realized my hair was still down. I'd been so distracted by my failure to bring back the fabric from Washington, I'd forgotten all about it. I tried to pull my wild locks back, feeling mortified that Aaron had seen me appearing in such an unseemly manner. I picked up a stray ribbon under the counter and quickly tied my hair back from my face. A twinge of pain gripped my arm, and I tried not to wince. No point in drawing more attention to myself than I already had today.

Aaron looked me over with surprise. “I'm glad to help, Sister Hope. Your father says you weren't badly hurt, but I must admit that you look a little worse for wear.”

I smiled at him. “To be honest, I feel somewhat bruised and beaten up. I'll be glad to clean up and tend to my scratches.”

“Well, I think we should get going,” Papa said. “And like my daughter, I am grateful you can find time away from your projects to help us.”

Before leaving, Papa came over and kissed me on the
forehead. “Why don't we have supper at Lizzie's tonight? You must be weary after your experience.”

“I'd like that. Thank you.” I tried to keep my tone light, but I was still upset with the way he'd treated Jonathon. Bribing me with a trip to the restaurant wasn't going to change my feelings.

He put his hand on my cheek and looked into my eyes. “I am so thankful you are safe. God is good. I could not bear to lose you.”

My heart melted a little, and I put my hand over his. “You won't lose me, Papa. Please don't worry.”

He squeezed my fingers and blinked away tears. “I am trying, Daughter, but sometimes casting my care on the Lord is more difficult than it should be.”

“I know.” I forced a smile. “But I'm perfectly fine. Shall we leave for Lizzie's as soon as you return?”

He glanced at the small battery-operated clock we kept on the counter. “Yes. Why don't you clean up and close the store a little early? You may want to rest some.”

I nodded. “Will you give Daisy some water before you leave? I'm sure she's thirsty after our long trip.”

“Yes, I will do that.” He hugged me again, which surprised me, since Papa wasn't usually very demonstrative in front of other people. I said good-bye to Aaron, and they left.

I watched Aaron gently help my father up into the cab of his truck, obviously aware that he was having some trouble with his joints. Several townspeople who passed by greeted Aaron with enthusiasm. The whole town was excited about the new store. Of course, Lizzie was thrilled at the prospect of buying more of her restaurant supplies in town. Although
she bought a lot of food items from local farmers, there were some things that could only be found in larger cities like Washington. Having a general store would cut down on weekly treks out of town for the supplies she needed to keep her business running.

After Papa and Aaron drove away, I headed to the back room to fix my hair and try to make myself more presentable. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a piece of polished tin Papa had purchased for the roof of our chicken coop. Horrified by how disheveled I looked, I untied the ribbon holding back my hair and shook it out. Jonathon had said that I looked like an angel, but I doubted seriously that angels were this dirty and messy. I got some water from the pump out back and washed myself off the best I could. Then I treated my scratches with Mercurochrome and put bandages on the larger cuts. Thankfully, I had an extra apron in the closet. I brushed the dirt and leaves out of my hair, pulled it into a bun, and put on a fresh prayer covering. One final glance in my makeshift tin mirror revealed the Hope Kauffman I was used to seeing. Gone was the wild-looking girl with the long, unkempt hair.

I was just starting my chores when the front door opened and Ebbie stepped inside. “Hope, I heard you were assaulted on the road. Are you all right?”

I smiled at him. “I'm fine, and I'm not sure I was
assaulted
. Someone in a truck thought it would be funny to force me into the ditch.”

Seeing Ebbie made me feel better. I loved his ginger-colored hair that seemed to have no idea where it wanted to lie on his head and his deep brown eyes that reminded me of turned-over earth before planting begins.

“Still, it sounds like you could have been hurt.” He came around the counter and put his hand on my cheek. “If anything had happened to you . . .”

I was startled to hear him use the same words Jonathon had used earlier and stumbled over my reply. “I-I'm all right, Ebbie. Honestly.”

He reached down and kissed me lightly on the cheek, and then he smiled at me. “I would give my life to protect you, Hope. I love you so much.”

I felt my eyes mist. “And I love you too.”

He looked me over and frowned. “You do look a little banged up. Maybe you should sit down. I can help you in the shop if you want.”

I laughed. “No, really. I'm not incapacitated. Just bruised, scratched, and a little humiliated.”

“You're sure?”

I nodded. “I'm so grateful to Brother Wiese. If he hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened.”

Ebbie took a few steps back. “Jonathon Wiese? He was there?”

My face suddenly felt warm, and I hoped I wasn't blushing. “Yes. He was on his way back from Washington and drove up just as the man in the truck was getting ready to take another run at me. Jonathon chased him away.”

Ebbie's eyes widened. “Oh, I had no idea. I'll have to thank him when I see him.”

I nodded, wondering why I suddenly felt so uncomfortable. “That would be nice.”

“Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?”

I shook my head. “It's not necessary. I'm sure you have things to do.”

“As a matter of fact, I did tell Ruth Fisher I'd come by and check her roof.”

I grinned. “The trials of an elder.”

He smiled. “It may not sound very spiritual, but God tells us that true religion is caring for the widows and the orphans.”

“I'm sure Ruth is very appreciative of your help.”

He patted his lean stomach. “She knows I love her peach cobbler, so there is always some waiting for me. Payment in full as far as I'm concerned.”

“So I should ask for her recipe and make peach cobbler for you after we're married?”

He laughed. “And here I didn't think you could be any more perfect than you already are.” Ebbie glanced at the clock sitting on the counter. “I'd better get going. Do you have plans this evening?”

“Papa mentioned going to the restaurant for dinner.”

“Good. I'll try to meet you. I'm not sure how long I'll be at Ruth's. If I'm not there by the time you're ready to order, go ahead. Don't wait for me.”

“All right. But I hope you make it.”

“Me too.”

He brought his other hand around from behind his back and held out a bouquet of forget-me-nots. “Do you remember the first time I gave you flowers?” he asked softly.

I smiled at him and took the flowers. “We were only twelve, and you left them on my desk at school.”

He nodded. “But I was too shy to tell you they were from me.”

“And I had no idea who put them there. I didn't think of you. We were just friends.”

He gazed deeply into my eyes. “
You
thought we were just friends. I've loved you ever since you were seven. Your mother died and you needed a shoulder to cry on. You sat next to me on the front porch and leaned your head against me. I put my arm around you while you sobbed. I knew then that we were meant to be together.”